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Google's working on a Pixel upgrade for handling calls on your commute
Oct 30, 2026 — 12:57 PM ET
- Transit mode offers a convenient way to configure phone settings for minimal disturbance during your commute.
- Take a Message, meanwhile, offers on-device voice memos and transcription for missed calls.
- Now Google finally appears to be getting ready to connect the two, with Take a Message-specific notifications for Transit mode.
Google’s always cooking up new features for its Pixel phones, but with so much new stuff arriving all the time, not everything’s always going to be super-tightly integrated, right out of the gate. But now it looks like Google could finally be getting around to connecting two recent Pixel additions, as we spot work towards bringing what looks like some special Take a Message support to Transit mode.
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Transit mode debuted earlier this year as our latest Modes option, giving Pixel users a one-tap way to easily configure their handsets for operation on crowded public transit systems. That means things like limiting sounds, as well as restricting notifications we might not want strangers peeking at.
Looking through the changes present in Google’s version 245.0.1006864670-publicbeta-pixel2026 release of its Phone app, we see references to a new component labeled BeeslyTransitModeService. Some of you Android super-nerds might remember from our past coverage that “Beesly” is an internal Google codename for Take a Message.
Digging a little further into the release, we spot strings like “Transit mode enabled, attempting to start Beesly.” We also see the app getting ready to issue some new notifications:
<string name="taking_a_message_transit_mode_notification_title">Taking a message - In Transit Mode</string>
<string name="taking_a_message_multi_sim_transit_mode_notification_title">Taking a message via %1$s - In Transit Mode</string>
<string name="notification_missed_call_transit_mode_summary_title">Missed call from %s - In Transit Mode</string>
<string name="notification_missed_call_audio_only_transit_mode_summary_title">%s - In Transit Mode</string>Transit mode already gives us the ability to limit notifications for incoming calls to only specific contacts. So what exactly would be the distinction here?
Well, this could be an option for users who might not want to leave Take a Message on all the time, but find that it offers extra utility when they’re avoiding calls on a commute. This way, it would automatically engage during Transit mode, but otherwise not be active.
We also see those strings above preparing to work with Take a Message across the different nations where it’s supported. Right now, there’s a split between countries where full transcripts are permitted, and those where Take a Message just saves audio — and the app is getting ready for this future Transit mode integration across both.
Ultimately, though, we haven’t yet been able to see this feature in operation, so there still may be some details about how Google’s planning to make it work that we’re not aware of. Maybe users could deliver custom Take a Message greetings that are specific to Transit mode? We might just need to wait for future work on this feature before the rest of the picture becomes clear.
Finally, it’s unrelated to this Take a Message support, but we’ve also spotted the Phone app preparing another small change:
Currently, when you go to switch your incoming call gesture in Phone settings, you’ll see the interface on the left, which forces you to first pull up this screen, then tap on your existing selection before you’re able to change it. Google appears to be considering a simplification here, putting that toggle right on the screen itself, and saving us from an extra tap. Hey, it’s not the biggest time-saver we’ve seen, but we’ll take it!
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